A HERO tradie who saved a South Fremantle family and their pet dog by pulling them from their burning house on Monday afternoon says the scene has been playing over in his mind “a million times”.

Ricky Popelier was working around the corner on South Terrace when he saw a puff of black smoke coming from the Silver Street home; others reported hearing an explosion.

“I knew it was a house fire, so I said ‘I’d hate for some old lady to be stuck in there’ and I said ‘hey, I might just go and check it out’,” Mr Popelier told the Herald.

“Man, I just ran down there and it’s lucky I did.”

• Ricky Popelier is checked for smoke inhalation by ambulance officers moments after pulling a family from their burning home. Photos by Ange Masefield

Screams

Instead of an old lady, the father-of-one heard screams from three children, kicking down a side gate so he could pull them through the flames to safety. After helping their mother escape he then returned to the burning building to rescue the family pet.

He says his phone has been running hot since then with friends congratulating him for his heroics and saying he should be in line for a bravery award, but reckons he was just “acting on instinct”.

“When I kicked the door in and heard the kids inside, I just didn’t think twice.”

But it’s what could have happened if he hadn’t reacted so quickly that often filled his thoughts in the days afterwards.

“If I had been there a minute later, I wouldn’t have been hearing screams for help, I would have been hearing screams of kids on fire.”

• A devastating scene for the family to return to.

Mr Popelier said as he was still working around the corner, he’d walked past the burnt house a day later and saw the family sifting through the ash, but didn’t want to interrupt them.

He reckons he got plenty of heartfelt thanks from the children’s father on the day of the fire.

Mr Popelier says he’s been a bit slow thanking everyone who put up their congratulations on Facebook, but has been really appreciative.

The Chook also checked on his relationship status on the basis a hero with a solid job might be a sharp catch for some lass, and he confirms he’s single and on the market.

“Definitely, I’m always looking for a partner, mate,” he laughed.

DFES says the fire was the result of “an accident”.

by STEVE GRANT